Luminous sign



Dec. 16, 1930. R. w. FISHER 1,785,341

LUMINOUS SIGN Filed Aug. 27, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 16, 1930. R. w. FISHER 1,785,341

TLUMINOUS SIGN Filed Aug. 27, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 similarly shaped transparent characters I 1 of the panel in raised relation thereto.

-- coloring material isfi Other'objectsof the invention will appear curing the character in place. i I A e5 ofthe housing. The top 1 and bottom 3 are Patented D c. 16,1930

uirensTATEs ,m m; oFiucE jLf'LUMmotrssIqn hpplication"filed'August' 27y'l98. SeIial No. 302,243.; l

This-invention relates to luminous signs and more particularly to asign construction, which will simulate in appearance-the class 1 of-signs known as vacuum tube or neon signs 1 f Itis an object of myinvention toprovide' a a sign having a panel-piece with character-for- IIlations Ithrough which; light may readily; 1.;pass, preferably ingthe form of slots,;and to place over these character "formations or slots;

i which:projectjoutwardly.froni the surface '7 Another object of theinvention iis toform 5 rate units of glass 'rodswhichj seat intojthe slots inthe panel piece. I V; n i I 'Another'object is to provide} a coloring, 1 means for thejglass characterswhichwilh avoid thedifficultiesencountered when the ncorporated in the glass,

"in the'mould,and" I I means for the glass characters which will 5 simulating a .vacuumltubesign.

asthe description proceeds. V t

I ReferringFto the drawings l Fig. l is a front elevation of my improved 3o-SlgI1 1g. 2 1s a sectlon takenonthe ;l1ne 2.-2 of I Fig.1; a l i Fig. 4 i'llustratesthe slottedcharacter formation in the panel piece; '7 Fig. 5 showsa character. positioned over" ntheslot in. the panel piece; and n Fig. 6 is a detailviewof a'method of se- My improved sign comprises a housing havingja top 1, back 2, sides 2-, and abet-tom ,f 3,. with an opening 4 closed by a slide 6 by means of which'access is had to-theinterior' 7 provided with air, Vents 7 one of'which is illustrated in the top lin Fig. 3.-

The front ofthe housing is closed by a panelpiece 8 surrounded by: a frame 9'1 which i issecured to the panelipieceand to the house d 30m w. FISHER, orcni'oneo; I'LLiNoIs', assumes To raise itinssfor cmcneo,

means 9 which pass it t'hrou'gh the Ui-slraped portions 10 oftl etop, bottom and sides of thehousing The source I of illumination may beabatterynofelectric i i V t (r leads 13.;t0 a source oi current...- V v lightsll supported in a bracket 12 andhava 1n QT formations through which .light may pass-{and iover the character formations are transparent "characters projecting; outwardly from the plane of the panelpiece. Thecharacter formations may be merely transparent areas the panel piece spanned by raised transparent gthe transparent glass characters from sepa-y;

the panel piece hl provide character characters of any desired-cross section, but in Lactual practicefl find it most convenient and H economical to provide the panel piece with,

slotsj 1 4 having the gtormationp'f the desired similarly-shapedrods of glass secured in a place by wires 16 passing around the rods wfthrough holes 17 inthe panel piece v8 ,and Another; object is tor-provide a coloring twistedat the rear of the panel piece, as shown :more particularlyin Figs. 4.,to 6. Therod eXtendsslightly beyond the ends of the slots and its di meter is slightly greater, than the width jofthe slots so that1the' rod completely s covers the' slots preventingany light from ,pja'ssingarOund between the edgesiof the slots jcharacterpr letter and place. over the slots and sides of the rods. I The convexsurface of n the. rods seating into the slots also aids in. establishin ancefiectivelight seal. The 'nu- 0 .meral l7, ndicates.ornamental rods which 7 1 Fig. 3 1s a section taken on the hne 3,30f

may beQdispcsedas desired-l Whilel have designated'the characters as posite side'of the panel piece.

I have found it highly desirable to associate coloringlmatter with. the 'characte'rs' to lproduce varied and artistic effects and to closely simulate the more expensive vacuum But this is notsatisfactory-when theglass must be made into rods and bent into the de-' sired form because the melting point of the glass israised, making it diflicultto Work With and adding to'theexp'ense of forming tube One method wouldbe to incor- 7' -porate the coloring matter in the'glassitself.

1 6O 1 I formations-said rods being so arranged as- I to permit substantially no. light to be emitted the characters. :I have found that by coating therods with transparent colored paint, this r-perior effect is obtained, as the characters difiiculty is avoided and, in'addition, a supossess a brightness and sheen both when illuminated and not illuminated that they do not have when made of conventional colored glass. lVhile I have shown only solidglass IKOds it will be understood that my invention is not limited to solid glass rods ias'hollow glass rods commonly referred to as glass 'tub I ing may also be used eflectively; I

- cent paint'r'nay be used-if desired The paint is most conveniently applied to'the surfa-ce of the rods but, if desired, when'tu'bing is being used, the coating of paint may-be applied to the inner'sur-face of the tube and the tube vacuum tube or neon signs in effectiveness '[and appearance, but ha s several advantages not found in the vacuum tube type of slgn.

replaced atthe expense 'of-censiderabletime The vacuumtube signs are quite expensivebecause the charactersmust ,be formed from a lconti'nuous tube, difiicult to, form; Ehe necessary electrical equipment also adds tothe expenseof the sign In the sign herein dis-a closed, the." letters are formed from separate pieces of unconnected rodsand may therefore be cheaply made. If any'portion of vacuum tube lettering is broken, the whole must "be "and money whereas the individual letters or characters in the present invention are not only cheap but they ca-nbe replaced immediately and without the use of skilled labor.

'- The vacuum tube sign is restricted to com- 'paratively few colors, Whereas any desired ing, is an effective signjinvdaylig'ht whereas] color can be used in my improved sign. AlsO,

my sign, due to the brilliancy,'sheen ;and gloss of the transparent colored pal-T11291 the tubthe colorless characters offtlie'viac uun tube United States is signs are not jeasily discernible andflare .quite I Winefi t a a d yl ght-s gn,"

. Having thusdescribed invention, what wish to secure by Letters Patentgof the 1; In a' luminous a panel piece of relatively opaque material having character I formations through 'whichflight may pass,

' and similarly shaped rods; .of material through which light ,willpass forming characters fitted over and covering said character through said character formations except -that which passes through said rods.

transparent paint; I l

formations through which light may pass, and similarly shaped separate units of transparent glass rods fitted over and'substantially covering said character formations so as to ,substantially covering said slotted character I formations. 7 V 51;; 1111a luminoussigmapanel piece having slots cut therein inithe form of the desired characters, and characters comprising sepa- "rate uni-tsofglass'rods of greater diameter than'the width of said slots secured against said panelpiece and substantially covering said slots to cause substantially all 7 of the I light to 'pass through said glass rods. I then sealed,whi ch will prevent deterioration j of the paint due to -exposureto the elements;

' My improved sign not; only rivals the 5; In aluminous sign, a panel piece of rela tively opaque material having character formations through which light may pass,

I and similarly shapedtransparent characters coated' with c'olored transparent paint projecting outwardly from the; surface of said panel piece and substantially covering said character formations to cause substantially all ofthe lig ht emitted by said signto pass slots cut therein in the form of the desired. characters,=and characters comprising separate units of transparent glass rods of greater diameter than the width of said slots secured against 'said p'ane'l piece and covering said slots, said glass rods being coated with colored 18. In a luminous sign, a panel pieceof relatively opaque material, character formations in said opaque material through which light may-pass, characters of substantially the same shape as said character formations adapted to be placed over said character formations to cause said characters to be illuminated substantially uniformly-throughout the entireextent of'said characters, said characters being formed of amater'ial which will permit rays of light-to pass therethrough, illuminating means on one side of said opaque panel, and means for, preventing light emitted by said illuminating means from being visible from the other side of said panel except throu h said character.

9. n a luminous sign, a panel piece having slotted character formations therein: and. similarly shaped characters of transparent 'tively opaque material, having character 7 colored glass held against said panel piece and substantially covering said slotted character formations. v e

In testimony whereof I have 'signed my name to this specification on this 23d day of August, D. 1928.

ROBERT W. FISHER. 

